Quotes from others

Alec Baldwin

"There's only one person I know who is enormously successful and he still has all this talent, he still has a sense of humour and he still has his wife. He's got it all. He's got his wife. He's got his kids. He's got every movie he wants to make. Hanks is someone who I admire boundlessly. And he's still funny and he's happy."

Amy Adams

"He's so easy to work with. He just makes you feel so comfortable."

Audrey Tautou

"No lie, he's a perfect actor. An extremely intelligent, available and professional man. He impressed me by his kindness and his discipline."

Bonnie Hunt

"He's truly a funny and talented man. You know there's been so many times where we haven't even had to say a joke, or he'll just look at me in a certain way, something is happening in a scene and... we're gone."

Catherine Zeta-Jones

"He really is an artist. There is something so calm and minimalistic in a way in what he does, but so clear and so emotional, and funny, and all the different elements of his character are so real that sometimes I'm doing a scene and I forget I have a line because I'm watching him act and do his work so well that I'm just studying him. And then on the other side of it, he's such a great guy to hang out with. So sweet and kind, and really a generous actor as well as a person. And you can't ask for anything more when you turn up for work to have that calibre of people, both professional and personal."

Charlize Theron

"A solid crush for me has always been Tom Hanks. He can do no wrong, that’s what it is."

David Gyasi

"He's a two-time Academy Award winner, so you know he's going to be on the game, but what makes him very very classy, and also Jim Broadbent, is that even with all their success, their approach to work is still childlike in their excitement. Their vigour for it. […] Here I am with these Academy Award winners. I tell you what, they made us feel like we're all actors just going on this journey together. It's such a classy trait to have, as it just encourages you all to bring your best to the table. That's what Tom does. I have a lot of time for the man, which I'm sure everyone has - he's fun, hard-working, and really respectful."

Elizabeth Perkins

"I think that when you look at Tom he could be your brother, he could be your son, he could be your boyfriend, he could be your husband. He sort of embodies the qualities of an Everyman and does it without a lot of aplomb."

Emily Blunt

"But Tom is really sexy. I promise you! He just made it effortless, to do those scenes. And he was so protective of me. He’s a real gent."

Gugu Mbatha-Raw

"It's Tom Hanks, you know! But he was directing the film as well so he was very hands on and he was wonderful to work with and very generous and creative. He'd written the project as well so it was quite impressive the amount of work he was doing. And he was so much fun and playful as well. He's great to work with. It was a terrific experience. Really, really exciting."

Hallee Hirsh

"When I was 10, I worked with Tom Hanks in You've Got Mail. He's a really incredible person. You know a big actor like him is always busy doing other projects and business, but he spent lots of time with us and really made the whole scene come alive."

Helen Hunt

"He is just like you would think he would be. He is a mensch, he always shows up on the set on time, and is a pleasure to work with."

Hilary Angelo

"He's a complete gentleman and a real genuine human being. He said so many times how lucky he is to be where he is and reminded us all how we could be shoveling chicken heads in some factory. Instead, he gets to sit in a hot tub and say lines all day. The other thing about Tom is that he knew everyone's name on set - from the grip to the PA. He knows how to welcome people and realizes that it's a collaborative effort."

Holland Taylor

"I remember calling my mother one day after we started [Bosom Buddies], partially because I was freaked out by the entire experience of being in L.A., but also to tell her about Tom. I said 'This kid is just going to be the biggest star in the world. Tom was just phenomenally gifted; he was such a playful actor -- and yet his talent was clearly not just as a comedian. He appears so accessible so people think he's like everybody, and he's not like everybody else at all. Calling him an everyman is like saying Albert Einstein is an everyman. But he's a lot of fun and a very loyal and dear friend."

Jon Seda

"Tom Hanks, he's just so respected [in Hollywood] and when you meet him and you get to know him, you realize that you have even more respect for him because here he is in this level of Hollywood but he keeps everything real. He's down to earth and he's a great guy to work with. It was just an honor."

Julia Roberts

"He's the most honest person I've ever met in my life."

"Just the best ever. I am so crazy about that person. The only thing I love more than working with Tom is just hanging out with Tom. He's remarkable. He's such a lovely guy and so energectic and honest. I adore him."

Maria Canals-Barrera

"He's so down to earth and makes everybody feel comfortable. He gives everything that kind of passion. It's wonderful to see you can be that successful and still be that much of a risk taker. He's a very special person."

Meg Ryan

"If I ever had to be stuck in a long line, I would like to be stuck there with Tom Hanks, 52. It wouldn't matter what we were waiting for or how long it would take to get it. It wouldn't even matter if it was the kind of line we had to camp out on because it went round the block like that merciless one outside the Apple Store on Prince Street in New York City when the iPhone first came out. It's nice to stand around with Tom. He's excellent company.
He once told me he thought we would make terrific neighbors, and I agreed. It would be nice to be neighborly with Tom. It would be nice to sit with him in a big swing on a wide porch, with a long straw in a tall drink on a lazy afternoon. He's a person who likes to shoot the breeze.
Come to think of it, I'd much prefer to wait in line with him for the new iPhone than in some squat ATM line, because he's a big goof and he's interesting. He's interesting because he's interested. He asks great questions, and he waits for the answers. He has a sort of wondrous capacity for wonder. The magic of history, of the cosmos, of words and of love keep him rapt. He is at their mercy the way a poet is. All that wonder keeps him happy and humble and wide-eyed. Lucky for us, he's contagious that way.
A while back, I was at a dinner, and we were all talking about art. What is art? Someone said art is whatever it is that makes you feel less alone. If this is true, then Tom is art. He makes me feel less alone. I imagine he makes a lot of people feel this way. He keeps our best selves, our dream selves, excellent company."

Michael Clarke Duncan

"Tom’s the type of guy who helps you out a lot. A lot of my crying scenes were with Tom. He would give you so much off camera and involve my emotions and energy very easily. It was real cool to work with Tom. He was very easy to work with."

Mykelti Williamson

"I think Tom is the most giving unselfish talented person I've ever met in my life. He always has the ability to open his heart and let us in and he allows you to stay as long as you desire. I think the public feels that."

Pam Grier

"I just love Tom Hanks! He wrote it [Larry Crowne] and directed it, and his neighbors across the street are Cedric the Entertainer and his wife is Taraji P. Henson, so he’s really inclusive. He loves stories, from Forrest Gump to Philadelphia, and he puts his own money on the line. He’s so authentic and accurate and loves people, we need to just clone him!"

Paul Bettany

"He's an entirely personable man. He's very funny. He wants to come in and do his job, and he wants you to come in and do your job and have a giggle round the crossovers. One day I saw him writing something on his script with a pencil. I got a bit panicked because I thought he's making notes and adding or changing things. So I said, 'You write notes? God, I must be doing it wrong.' And he said: 'No, you're wrong. I usually do it pretty much as every writer says in the script, and they're usually right but just because I want to show I'm contributing, I'll move that comma...' So he's really fun."

Robin Wright Penn

"He's such a good guy. He's genuinely a good, sweet person, and that comes accross in his work."

Sally Field

"He is, I believe, always getting better as an actor because he is always challenging himself, pushing himself, demanding more of himself. So he will always be getting better."

Taraji P. Henson

"He's one of those actors who can just take on any role. What I think is so great about him is... he's still a very down to earth, big, big superstar. It makes it easier for him to play these common characters, like regular people, and believe it, and not be Tom Hanks. Some people get too big and you can't separate the star from the character."

Viola Davis

"Whatever you think about Tom Hanks when you watch his movies – that he’s kind of this great everyman, kind and humble – that’s who he is. He’s pretty much perfect!"

"There's a reason why he always plays that everyman, warm character. He is a tremendous human being. Very, very warm, very generous, and really normal. He loves his wife and loves his kids, he is great."